Paring knife



W. E. ANDERSON Feb. 12 1924.

PARING KNIFE Filed NOV. 20 1922 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. E2, 1924.

UNETEE WILLIAM E. ANDERSON, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

PABING KNIFE.

Application filed November 20, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, WILLIAM E. ANDER- SON, citizen of the United States, and resident of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Paring Knives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device designed to be attached to the blade of a knife, to gage or measure the thickness, and also to regulate substantially the width, of the paring or slice as it is thereby cut or severed from the fruit or vegetable on which it is used. The improved attachment is remov ably mounted on the knife-blade and when the attachment is curved or arched laterally, the knife-blade is bent or flexed by the rigid structure of the attachment and made to substantially conform to the curvature or are thereof, in order to substantially conform to the curved or rounded surface of the object being pared or sliced. In one form of the device, the paring or slice may ,be made relatively thin or thick, according to the position in which the parer is held against the object by the operator, or the paring or slice may be made with a crosssection that is thick in the center and tapering towards the respective ends, that is to say, substantially crescent-shaped. Other novel features possessed by my improvements and other objects sought thereby will be more fully described in the specification, illustrated in the drawings and set forth in the claims, as hereinafter pointed out.

I have illustrated types of myinvention in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a knife provided with my paring attachment, the view being taken from the front-side and shows the relative arrangement of the cutting-edge of the blade and the gage of the device.

Figure 2, is a front view with a portion of the inner end of the handle in longitudinal section and partly broken away.

Figure 3, is a rear view, with the knife handle shown in part.

Figure 4:, is a vertical sectional view, en-

larged, the plane of the section being indicated by lines 4-4, Fig. 2;

Figure 5, is a top view with a portion of the knife handle in longitudinal section and showing the stem of the blade and the Serial No. 602,027.

spring-clip engaging the same in the handle.

Figure 6, is a side view of the spring-clip shown as detached.

Figure 7, is a side view of a knife with a modified form of the attachment mounted thereon, the handle of the knife being shown in longitudinal section, and the blade and attachment broken away.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the blade of the knife and 2, the handle in which the blade is secured by insertion of its stem or tang 3, in the usual way, except in the present case the blade-stein is set in and locked by my improved spring-clip 4:, as hereinafter fully described.

My improved paring or slicing attachment comprises a relatively rigid metal body or frame 5, having a longitudinally extending opening 6, which is spanned by the knife-blade 1, when the parts are put together, in such a manner that the cuttingedge 7, of the blade is disposed upon the front face of the frame and in slightly spaced relation to the upper part or stretch of the frame, indicated at 8, which serves as a guard for the cutting-edge 7 the space between the two regulating or gaging the thickness of the paring or slice as it is cut from the piece of fruit or vegetable. The thickness of the severed piece' may be readily varied by increasing or decreasing the space or distance between the cuttingedge and the guard according as to whether a thicker or thinner cut is desired.

The body or frame 5, is shorterthan the length of the knife-blade and it is curved or bent laterally on an are or other curve and the material of which it is made is sufficiently rigid to maintain the curvature of the bodyv when it is mounted on a flexible knife-blade the blade in mounting it being forcibly bent or flexed tofit into and retain the body. The bent blade thus conforms substantially to the curved outline of the body which serves to keep the blade thus bent for the purpose of operating over a rounded or curved surface such as that presented by fruit or vegetables.

The gage member 8, is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly extending lip 9, made flaring and curved like the body, with notches 10, at the respective ends of the lip for receiving and retaining the cutting-edge 7 of the knife blade. This brings the curved-plane of the knife-edge slightly in front of the plane of the gage part 8, between the points 10, 10, and gives a slightly different curvature to said respective planes, so that the space between is wider at the center than near the points 10, 10, that is to say of a crescent-shape. With this arrangement, when the device is placed squarely upon the rounded surface to be out the severed piece will have a crescent shaped cross-section. By tipping the device towards either end the severed piece will be thinner in cross-section and in this way the shape of the paring or cut piece may be varied, as well as the thickness of the same.

In the construction herewith shown, the outer end of the body or frame 5, is provided with an eye or slot 11, through which the knife-blade is slid in mounting the body on the blade and this retains the two together at such point, while the inner end of the body or frame is releasably engaged by the spring-clip 4, hereinafter described. The upper and lower stretches of the body as well as the respective ends are formed with corrugations 12, 18, 14 and 15, respectively, which serve to strengthen the body in order that it may always preserve its original shape and curvature. The convex outer surfaces of these corrugations present smooth surfaces for engaging the exterior of the article on which the paper is used and give an easier movement of the device over the article. The corrugation 12, which extends through the length of the gage 8, prevents the latter from itself cutting into the article being pared by reason of the rounded surfaces which the gage thus presents to the article and it also lends itself to flaring formation of lip 9, of the gage member. The lower corrugation 13, presents a rounded surface for resting the device against the exterior of the article indicated in dotted lines 16, in Fig. 4, in starting the paring or slicing operation and in some cases it is practically kept in contact with the article as the paring continues. When the attachment is in place, the knife-blade lies to the rear of the lower and end corrugations, while the cuttingedge 7, where it spans the opening 6, in the body, lies somewhat forward of the upper corrugation 12, on the gage member.

The spring-clip 4, is made of resilient wire, bent on itself at 17, to form a V-shape the limbs 4 and 4 of which constitute a wedge-like part which embraces the end of the stem 3, of the knife-blade and is an chored with it in the handle 2. The limbs 4 and 4 are formed with inwardly project ing laces or bends 18 and 19, respectively, whic engage the perforation 20, in the stem 3, for the purpose of gripping and holding the knife-blade against endwise movement which would tend to disengage it from its setting in the handle. The tip of the stem is formed with a notch 21, in which the bend 17 of the clip is seated and this arrangement serves to keep the two parts from shifting laterally with respect to each other. In addition to the spring action of the limbs of the spring clip acting to retain the same in the socket in the handle, the said limbs are provided with forwardly project ing spurs 22, which take into the material of the handle and resist any action tending to dislodge the clip and the bladesltems gripped by the clip.

The end of the limb 4, of the spring clip is short enough to lie within the socket in the handle and its free end is bent outwardly at 23, so as to take into the wall of the socket and hold its place therein. The limb 4 of the spring clip is extended outwardly sufliciently far to lie beyond the outer face of the ferrule or band 24, which is fitted to the end of the handle 2, and it is formed with a bend or loop 25, projecting laterally and overhanging the ferrule at one side while the strand of wire is continued across the end of the handle and somewhat beyond it where it is then bent into an eye or turn 26 with the strand lying to the forward side, thence it continues rearwardly in the form of a bend 27 and the free end then extends horizontally a slight distance at 28, parallel with the forward part.

\Vhen the gage-frame 5, is forced into place on the knife-blade, the peculiar bending of the extended end of the limb 4", of the spring-clip, provides a gripping and releasable locking means for the inner end of said frame which it engages. The horizontal part 25, extends across the front of the inner end of the frame 5, and snaps over a lug or projection 29, on said part, so as to lock the frame against endwisc movement outwardly on the blade. The bend 27, passes around the edge of the frame so as to cause the free end 28, of the spring wire to press upon the rear side of the knifeblade 1, and assist in the gripping and retaining of the inner end of the gage-frame in its operative position. This provides a releasable means for securely holding the frame 5, in its proper place during the paring or slicing process. The laterally extending part 25, of the spring-clip also serves to hold the ferrule or band 24, in place on the end of the handle. The turn or eye 26, serves conveniently as a fingerpiece or abutment against which the thumb may be pressed, in order to disengage the part 25, from the locking lug 29, on the end of the frame, when the latter is to be dis engaged and removed from the knifeeblade. As the handle is held in the right-hand, the thumb falls into place to so press upon the part 26, as to unlock the parts.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the spring wire clip is dispensed with and the (ill inner end of the gage-frame 5, is provided with a tang or stem 30, provided with lateral teeth or serrations, and this stem is forced into the material of the handle 2, and thus serves to retain the inner end of the frame in fixed operative position, although it may be withdrawn when so desired and in case the frame is to be removed from the knife-blade 1.

It will be observed that owing to the pe culiar and crescent shaped space between the cutting-edge 7, of the knife and the gage part 8, the paring may be readily varied in its cross-sectional area, by tipping or shifting the instrument towards its forward or rearward end, or keeping it in full contact with the article being pared.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A paring-knife guard comprising a frame or body constructed and arranged to be mounted on the knife-blade and said frame having a curvedpart for engaging and bending the inserted knife-blade laterally on itself, the lower partof said frame being spaced apart from the cutting-edge of the knife-blade and forming a gage for the cutting-edge and being curved on a greater radius or are than said cutting-edge, the two said curves forming a cresent shaped space between them.

2. A paring-knife guard comprising a frame or body constructed and arranged to be mounted on the knife-blade with the lower part of said frame disposed below the cutting-edge of the knife-blade and spaced therefrom and serving as a guard therefor, said guard being provided with a rearwardly flaring flange over whichv the paring passes as it is severed by the cutting-edge, said guard having a notch at its respective ends through which the cutting edge of said knife-blade passes.

3. A paring-knife guard comprising a frame or body constructed. and arranged to be mounted removably on the knife-blade, and spring actuated means secured to the knife-handle for detachably engaging the inner end of said frame to retain it in operative position.

at. A paring-knife guard comprising a frame or body curved on its length and constructed and arranged to receive a flexible knife-blade and maintain it curved in con formity with the curvature of said frame, said frame being corrugated.

5. A paring-knife guard comprising a frame or body curved on its length and constructed and arranged to be mounted on a flexible knife-blade and to hold it in curved position substantially on the curvature of said frame, an opening in said frame spanned by the cutting-edge of said blade with the lower part of said frame below the opening serving as a gage for the paring, said frame being corrugated along the borders of said opening at its top and sides.

6. A paring-knife guard comprising an oblong frame having a longitudinal opening therein and curved on its length, said frame adapted to have a flexible knife-blade inserted therein with the cutting-edge of said blade extending across the lower part of the said opening in the frame, a rib or corrugation extending along the upper stretch of said frame and a rib or corrugation extending across each end of said frame.

7. A paring-knife guard comprising a frame or body adapted to be mounted on a knife-blade, a handle in which the inner end of the knife-blade is mounted, a spring-clip engaging the part of the blade inserted in the handle and projecting from said handle and adapted to releasably engage the inner end of said frame.

8. A knife comprising a handle and a blade provided with a stem inserted in said handle, a paring guard for the knife-blade mounted on said blade and comprising a frame or body having an opening across which the cutting-edge of the knife-blade extends, the outer end of said frame having means for holding it to the knife-blade, a spring-clip mounted in said handle and adapted to releasably engage the inner end of said frame to hold it in operative position.

9. A knife comprising a handle and a blade provided with a stem inserted in said handle, a paring guard for the knife-blade mounted thereon and comprising a frame having an opening therein across which the cutting-edge of the knife-blade extends, means at the outer end of said frame for securing it to the knife-blade, a spring-clip formed of resilient wire and provided with spring arms or limbs between which said knife-stem is seated in the handle, one of said arms or limbs being extended outwardly beyond the end of said handle and releasably engaging the inner end of said frame.

10. A knife comprising a handle and a blade provided with a stem inserted in the end of said handle, a paring guard for the knife-blade mounted thereon and comprising a frame having an opening across which the cutting-edge of said blade extends, means at the outer end of said frame for attaching it to said blade, a spring-clip mounted on the end of said handle, and a locking part on the inner end of said frame adapted to be releasab-ly engaged by said clip to hold said end of the frame on the blade.

11. A knife comprising a handle and a blade mounted therein, a paring guard mounted on said blade and having means for attaching the outer end of said guard to the blade, a locking part on the inner end of said guard and springclip engaging said locking-part. said clip comprising a resilient ineniber secured to said handle and extending Qaterally across said guard in yielding engagement there With and capable of being pressed transversely of said guard to release it from looking engagement therewith.

12. A knife comprising a handle blade secured thereto, a paring guard mounted on said blade and having means for attaching the outer end of the guard. to said blade, a locking part on the inner end of said guard and a spring-clip for releasably engaging the same, said clip comprising a piece of resilient inetal secured to said handle and extending outwardly into releas able engagement With said locking part on said guard, the engaging end of said clip being formed with a transversely extending bend crossing said guard and an eye at the end, the outer free end of said piece being bent rearWardly so as to engage the rear face of said blade.

13. A knife having a handle and a blade secured thereto, a paring guard mounted on said blade and having means at its outer end for attaching the said guard to the blade, a clip mounted on said handle and adapted to releasably engage the inner end of said guard to secure it in operative posiand a 1 ,asaoes tion on the blade, the said blade being formed with a stern extending into the handle and said stein having a perforation therein, the said clip comprising a piece of resilient inetal bent at one end into a f-shape with the limbs of said V provided with bends for engaging the said perforation in said blade-stem when the latter is inserted between said limbs, one limb of said shape being extended outwardly beyond said handle and constructed and arranged to yieldingly engage the inner end of said guard.

14%. A knife having a handle and a blade secured thereto. a paring guard mounted on said blade and having its outer end provided with means for securing it to said blade, said knife-blade having a stem mounted in said handle, a clip mounted on said handle and adapted to releasably engage the inner end of said guard to maintain it in operative position, said clip comprising a piece of resilient inetal having one end formed into a V-shape provided with lateral spurs or barbs, said stein. being inserted in said V-shape part in said handle and embraced thereby.

Signed at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, this 8th day of November, A. D. 1922 WILLIAM E. ANDERSON. 

